Find out how popular the last name Carnell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Carnell.

Carnell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Carnell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carnell in America

Carnell is the 11383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carnell surname appeared 2,770 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Carnell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carnell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Carnell

The surname Carnell is believed to have originated in England, and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "carn" meaning a rocky hill or cairn, and "hyll" meaning a hill, thus suggesting that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a rocky hill or cairn.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Carnell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Roger de Carnhull. This suggests that the name was initially spelled with an 'h' before evolving to its current form.

During the 13th century, the name appears in various records such as the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, where a William de Carnel is mentioned in 1272. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279 also reference a John de Carnel.

In the 14th century, the surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, with a John Carnel listed in 1327. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1380 mention a Thomas Carnell, indicating the spelling had evolved closer to its modern form.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Carnell was Sir John Carnell, a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 16th century, who served in the House of Commons from 1554 to 1555.

In the 17th century, Edward Carnell (1619-1676) was an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Winchester. He published several works on theology and philosophy during his lifetime.

Sir Thomas Carnell (1670-1747) was a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire from 1708 to 1747. He was also the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1701.

In the 18th century, Sir John Carnell (1734-1804) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He attained the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his service.

James Carnell (1805-1875) was a prominent English architect in the 19th century, known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carnell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Carnell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Carnell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Carnell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Carnell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carnell, please contact us.

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